System and method for multi-agent coordination

Abstract

A host includes persistent storage and a communication manager. The persistent storage stores an address conversion table. The communication manager obtains a multi-agent initiation request from an application. The communication manager also generates a network communication based on the multi-agent initiation request using the address conversion table. The communication manager also transmits the network communication to at least two other hosts.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A host, comprising:
 persistent storage storing an address conversion table that associates targets of repurposed communications with commands to be performed by entities that receive the repurposed communications, wherein the targets of the repurposed communications are network endpoints that do not exist within a network segment of which the host is a member; 
 a processor programmed to execute a communication manager programmed to:
 obtain a multi-agent initiation request from an application; 
 generate a network communication based on the multi-agent initiation request using the address conversion table, wherein the network communication comprises one of the repurposed communications that specifies a target of the targets, wherein the target is based on a type of command specified by the multi-agent initiation request; and 
 transmit the network communication to at least two other hosts on the network segment to initiate the type of the command by at least one of the at least two other hosts. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The host of  claim 1 , wherein the network communication is transmitted to the at least two other hosts via a broadcast. 
     
     
       3. The host of  claim 2 , wherein the network communication is an address resolution protocol broadcast. 
     
     
       4. The host of  claim 1 , wherein the address conversion table associates:
 a first command with a first target; and 
 a second command with a second target. 
 
     
     
       5. The host of  claim 4 , wherein the multi-agent initiation request specifies the first command. 
     
     
       6. The host of  claim 5 , wherein the network communication is an address resolution protocol broadcast that is addressed to the first target. 
     
     
       7. The host of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the repurposed communications is adapted to cause the at least one of the at least two other hosts to perform a functionality different from second functionality that would be performed by the at least one of the at least two other hosts specified by a communication scheme implemented by the host and the at least one of the at least two other hosts. 
     
     
       8. A method for initiating a command across multiple hosts using an address conversion table that associates targets of repurposed communications with commands to be performed by entities that receive the repurposed communications, wherein the targets of the repurposed communications are network endpoints that do not exist within a network segment of which the host is a member, comprising:
 obtaining, by a host of the multiple hosts on the network segment, a multi-agent initiation request from an application; 
 generating, by the host of the multiple hosts, a network communication based on the multi-agent initiation request using the address conversion table, wherein the network communication comprises one of the repurposed communications that specifies a target of the targets, wherein the target is based on a type of command specified by the multi-agent initiation request; and 
 transmitting the network communication to at least two other hosts of the multiple hosts to initiate the type of the command by at least one of the at least two other hosts. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the network communication is transmitted to the at least two other hosts via a broadcast. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network communication is an address resolution protocol broadcast. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the address conversion table associates:
 a first command with a first target; and 
 a second command with a second target. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the multi-agent initiation request specifies the first command. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the network communication is an address resolution protocol broadcast that is addressed to the first target. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one of the repurposed communications is adapted to cause the at least one of the at least two other hosts to perform a functionality different from second functionality that would be performed by the at least one of the at least two other hosts specified by a communication scheme implemented by the host and the at least one of the at least two other hosts. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for initiating a command across multiple hosts using an address conversion table that associates targets of repurposed communications with commands to be performed by entities that receive the repurposed communications, wherein the targets of the repurposed communications are network endpoints that do not exist within a network segment of which the host is a member, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a host of the multiple hosts on the network segment, a multi-agent initiation request from an application; 
 generating, by the host of the multiple hosts, a network communication based on the multi-agent initiation request using the address conversion table, wherein the network communication comprises one of the repurposed communications that specifies a target of the targets, wherein the target is based on a type of command specified by the multi-agent initiation request; and 
 transmitting the network communication to at least two other hosts of the multiple hosts to initiate the type of the command by at least one of the at least two other hosts. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the network communication is transmitted to the at least two other hosts via a broadcast. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the network communication is an address resolution protocol broadcast. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the address conversion table associates:
 a first command with a first target; and 
 a second command with a second target. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the multi-agent initiation request specifies the first command. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the one of the repurposed communications is adapted to cause the at least one of the at least two other hosts to perform a functionality different from second functionality that would be performed by the at least one of the at least two other hosts specified by a communication scheme implemented by the host and the at least one of the at least two other hosts.